Petals Panache

To the Moon Marketplace

Zoo Two Clothing Company

1)                 Petals Panache has some of the nicest flower arrangements and Valentines gift baskets in town, and there would certainly be one that your honey would enjoy. Petals Panache has some beautiful arrangements specifically made for Valentines Day that will take your breath away. However, they advise you to place your orders early for better selections. They take, Master Card, Visa, Discover and of course cash.

2)                 To the Moon Marketplace has over 70 items specifically for Valentines day including Gummy handcuffs, chocolate handcuffs, for my man chocolate hearts, Joseph Schmidt truffles, chocolate body frosting, chocolate tongs, chocolate boyfriends, chocolate girlfriends, heart soaps, vintage valentines day cards, over 200 regular valentines day cards, and many more. They also can make personalized gift baskets for your special someone. In addition they have over 6500 items in the store. To the Moon is open 7 days a week from 11am till 11pm and 1am (Fri & Sat).

3)                 If you want to get your honey some clothing (men’s) then check out Zoo Two Clothing Company where they not only feature X-Ray Jeans with the beautifully embellished pockets and 191 shirts, but also thousands of other clothing items as well as necklaces, bracelets, rings, belt buckles, glass pendants, watches, sunglasses, belts, and hats. Breaking News: Zoo Two Clothing Company will be opening a 2nd store in the Aventura Mall in Summer 08”.

4)                 Another great Valentines gift idea for your loved one would be either a night or a weekend at one of our great guest houses here in South Florida. Some of the ones I suggest are the Windamar Beach Resort, Alcazar/Worthington, Cheston House, Coconut Cove, Coral Reef, Schubert Gay Resort, and  La Casa Del Mar. Use the reservations link on any of the pages and book your rooms through Mark's List!

          For a full guide of Valentine Gift ideas check out our Valentines Gift Guide which will be e-mailed out next Monday Feb11th.

The work of Key Biscayne artist Marilyn Liedman and former Florida artist Thom Buttner breath new life into Lèche-Vitrines Art Alliance from February 7-March 1, in an exhibition titled Reconnecting with the Elements.  Over 20 original watercolor and oil paintings will be on display by these fantastic plein-air (on-site outdoors) painters. The subject matter is traditional yet classic, nature. The sky, clouds, water are captured at their most magnificent in the work of these two artists.   At what point did we stop looking at clouds? Thom Buttner wonders. "As a child I thought if I could get high enough, I could lay in that soft cotton and ride aloft without a care. And who among us did not watch clouds and imagine those billowing shapes to be all manner of creatures great and small. Clouds still evoke something passionate in me, it's hard to put my fingers on it. The essence of these paintings are of lofty dreams and the spirit unfettered." Clouds as metaphor. Today nature seems to be squeezed out of our increasingly technological world. In spite of this we all seek some connection to natural elements: earth, water, sky. Whether it's gardening, camping or a holiday at the beach, in these things we find solace. Marilyn Liedman says, "My most recent work is based on using some new techniques while still maintaining the integrity of the pure watercolor process. The beauty of plein-air painting is in controlling the watercolor medium while chasing light and shadow always present in nature.”  Cloudscapes is Thom Buttner's most current body of work. An exploration of color and form, building on past works, where the artist explored the warm light of dusk and the hue changes of atmospheric perspective. "This is the technical way of saying I paint the things that knock me out", says the artist. The Opening reception is on Saturday, February 9, from 6-9pm and the artist Marilyn Liedman will be in attendance.

Naked Grape Wine Bar wine tasting’s return! Please make plans to join us at the wine bar this Wednesday, February 6, from 7:00PM until 9:00PM for their Two Hands wine tasting. The Two Hands portfolio of wines offers excellent quality, with wines of deep fruit, intense color and flavor, and rich complexity. These wines hail from South Australia's Barossa Valley, one of the world's greatest areas for producing gorgeous Shiraz vartietals. Wine Spectator has called the Two Hands winery perhaps the finest in the southern hemisphere. These wines will be bottles to savor with good friends and with finely prepared food. Cindy Woodman, from Trans-Atlantic Wines, will be pouring these gorgeous wines for you. Many of you have met Cindy at past tasting’s. You may have also met her behind the wine bar on those occasions when she has worked with them. You may reserve a spot by calling the wine bar at 954-563-5631 and using a major credit card or by stopping in at the wine bar. The cost of advance reservations is only $10.00 per person. At the door admission the night of the tasting will be $15.00, if any available reservations remain. Past tasting’s have usually sold out before the event. Don't miss out on tasting these exquisite wines!

Congregation Etz Chaim, located in Wilton Manors, will honor Rita Fischer, Larry Friedlander and the Jewish Federation of Broward County at its 34th Anniversary Gala Dinner/Dance, to be held Saturday, April 5, in the New River Room of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale.  Festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a reception on the veranda followed by a sumptuous dinner and dancing. The Gala will honor two special members of the CEC family.  “Mamasita” Rita Fischer, a PFLAG Mom and “snowbird” from New York, is best-known for raising copious amounts of money in support of the Metropolitan New York AIDS Walk.  Larry Friedlander, a Holocaust survivor and father of three, has served the Synagogue in various posts, most notably as President of the Congregation and Chair of the Ritual Committee.  Cong. Etz Chaim will also inaugurate a new award, the Community Tikkun Olam Award which will be presented to the Jewish Federation of Broward County in recognition of its outstanding service to the community. “We are really thrilled with this year’s honorees” commented Congregation President Lyn Saberg.  “Rita and Larry each have a long history of involvement with our Congregation and exemplify some of the diversity that exists among our members.  We also are particularly pleased to recognize the Broward Federation for the wonderful efforts they have made to be inclusive and to unify the Jewish community.” Historically, Congregation Etz Chaim has served as a spiritual home for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jews from the entire tri-county area of South Florida.  Rabbi Harold Caminker is in his third year as spiritual leader. Members of the community are welcome to attend this Gala Dinner Dance.  Tickets to the Gala are $105 for Congregation and Federation members and $125 for non-members and guests.  For further information, ticket sales, and commemorative ad journal ads, contact Congregation Administrator Sherry Davidson at (954) 564-9232 or Vice President of Fundraising Alex Rosenberg at (561) 716-4825.  Congregation Etz Chaim is located at 1881 N.E. 26 Street, in Wilton Manors.  Sabbath Services are held on Friday nights at 8:30 p.m.

Monty Python's "SPAMALOT,"  takes place on Sunday, March 9th at  7:30 P.M. at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. Winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, Monty Python's Spamalot is the outrageous new musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic "Monty Python and The Holy Grail." Directed by Tony Award-winner Mike Nichols, with a book by Eric Idle and music and lyrics by the Grammy Award-winning team of Mr. Idle and John Du Prez, Spamalot tells the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. Flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen and show-stopping musical numbers are just a few of the reasons audiences everywhere are eating up Spamalot. 

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Monty Python's Spamalot

"AVENUE Q," takes place on Sunday, May 18th at 7:30 P.M. - at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. Avenue Q is Broadway's smash-hit 2004 Tony Award® winner for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. A hilarious show full of heart and hummable tunes, Avenue Q is about trying to make it in NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Called "one of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see" by Entertainment Weekly, Avenue Q features a cast of people and puppets who tell the story in a smart, risque and downright entertaining way. The New Yorker calls it "Subversive and Uproarious!" 

WICKED takes place on Sunday, April 6th at 7:30 P.M. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One born with emerald green skin is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years. 

To order tickets for any of these shows log onto: www.broadwayaccrossamerica.com

A Florida high school is "trampling the First Amendment rights of students who support equal rights for gay people", according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union.  In its lawsuit, the ACLU describes what it calls an atmosphere of fear and censorship at Ponce de Leon High School, where the school board's attorney allegedly has said that expressions like a rainbow sticker may mean students are members of an "illegal organization." "All any of us wants to do is be able to talk about gay rights issues without having to be scared," said Heather Gillman, a 16-year-old junior at the school. "Nobody should have to worry about being kicked out of school just for having a rainbow sticker on your notebook." The dispute began last fall said Gillman. The ACLU sent a letter in November to the school board's attorney on behalf of Gillman, asking for clarification as to whether a variety of symbols and slogans, such as the rainbow flag or "I support my gay friends," would be allowed at the school.  The school district replied that it would not allow any expressions of support for gay rights at all because such speech would "likely be disruptive." The district then said that such symbols and slogans were signs that students were part of a "secret/illegal organization." according to the ACLU. The ACLU became involved after Gillman and other students approached it saying there was atmosphere at the school in which students said they were routinely intimidated by school officials for things such as writing "gay pride" on their arms and notebooks or wearing rainbow-themed clothing.  According to students, problems began in September when a lesbian student tried to report to school officials that she was being harassed by other students because she is a lesbian.  Instead of addressing the harassment, students say the school responded with intimidation and censorship.  "Because the Supreme Court has held that students have a right to free speech at school unless that speech disrupts the educational process, many administrators think they can just slap the label 'disruptive' on anything they don't like and get away with stomping on students' First Amendment rights," said Benjamin James Stevenson, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Florida. "The law doesn't work that way," said Stevenson.  "School should be a marketplace of ideas, where students share new ideas and learn about themselves and others.  Just talking about gay rights or any other topic outside of class isn't inherently disruptive." In the complaint filed Thursday, the ACLU asks the court for an injunction to stop Ponce de Leon High School officials "from suppressing students' First Amendment rights in the future." "Writing something like 'I support gay rights' on your notebook doesn't mean you're part of some secret conspiracy or shadowy organization," said Christine Sun, a staff attorney with the ACLU's national Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project.  "Schools shouldn't be in the business of trying to frighten students into silence." Ponce de Leon is located halfway between Pensacola and Tallahassee, in Florida's panhandle.  According to the school's website, about 400 students are enrolled there.